How far away you are
by LilithiaRW
Summary: Sometimes the hardest thing about life are the good memories. Because you can never go back. Sakura reminisces about Team 7 with Sai. Continuation? Maybe. But "Complete" until further notice. Rated T for my author's rant in the beginning. Stupid Sasuke.


**Just a drabble. I doubt anyone will read this.**

**So I was watching an epic Team 7 video on Youtube (I don't own). It's called "Team 7 – Miracles" by ReversedIdentity00 IT'S SO GOOD! I WANTED TO CRY TT_TT Anyway, listen to the song "When you believe" from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack when you read this. It kinda sets the mood but yeah. **

**So apparently there's been some confusion. In this drabble, Naruto IS NOT DEAD. Neither is Sasuke. Naruto is still in the village, it is just that Sai found Sakura. But Sasuke is still being a complete MORON and fucking himself six ways to Sunday by helping that senile bastard Madara. Sasuke, I hope you read that.**

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"How far away you are, my dear." Sakura murmured to the sun, staring into the sunset.

The sun was a large orb, as Sakura held her hand up to cup it in her palm. Its bright body was nearly enough to blind her, but she looked into it anyway, blinking back the tears forced into her eyes. Gold bled into orange, bright reds marked the sky like blood against a violet night. She sighed and leaned back into the rock behind her. Curling her knees to her chest, Sakura wrapped her arms around her legs and felt her chest constrict.

"Who are you talking about?"

Sakura's eyes slid left as Sai sat down next to her.

"I was under the impression no one was allowed up here."

Sakura looked down at the rock beneath her. She sat on top of Tsunade's head, carved into the Hokage Mountain. Unperturbed by his teammate's unusual silence, Sai shifted closer to Sakura, in an unusual display of affection (by Sai's standards). Gladly taking the unexpected show of comfort, Sakura leaned into Sai, picking his arm up and wrapping it around her shoulders.

Their eyes never left the bright round orb that was the sun. It looked so close, as if it would drip liquid fire onto the earth the moment it touched the horizon. Sakura tucked her head into Sai's chest, and he said nothing about the wet spot that was slowing growing against his shirt. The most important lesson Sai had learned with Sakura and Naruto, was that sometimes, silence was the best response.

So there they sat, two teammates, silently watching the sun make its way towards the dark horizon, swallowed by the earth. Sakura's eyes were locked on the sun, ignoring the tears on her face. Memories filled her head. Days like today, where the good memories were too much, too overwhelming, heartbreaking in their brightness, she would come to seek comfort in the solitude of Hokage Mountain.

"You still have not answered my question." Sai murmured.

Sakura gave him a wobbly smile, causing Sai to frown.

"Naruto's become so much stronger, ne?" she said softly. "I remember when we were genin, and Kakashi-sensei would tease us about how weak we were, as Sasuke, Naruto, and I panted and sweated like pigs after practice. One time Naruto fell onto his back, and I dumped my whole water bottle on him to cool him off." Sakura laughed softly.

"We were moving mountains long before we knew we could." Sakura murmured, her fingernails digging into her leg as she fought another wave of hopeless sorrow.

"And there was one time, when we all decided just to hang out. We ended up going to a local carnival that had stopped in Konoha…" Sakura's eyes became distant. "Naruto laughed the entire day, and Sasuke would just give that little smile of his… My favorite part of that day was just walking. Walking with my two teammates by my side through the colorful streets, listening to laughter and music, smelling the food. It felt so right, to have both of them there. By my side…"

"And the next day I was so tired, my legs hurt so badly." Sakura smiled fondly. "It also happened to be the day I had promised Ino I would go shopping with her. But she took pity on me and my sore legs, and we went out to buy new bikinis instead, and then spent the entire day at the pool, drinking smoothies and eating fruit, pretending we were on some tropical island…"

Sai gave her such a confused look, as Sakura cried with a smile on her face. "Why are you crying when you are remembering good things?"

Sakura laughed and sobbed at the same time. "Because, Sai, sometimes I just can't take them. The good memories. Those times of happiness… the joy… They become too painful…" Sakura looked at her feet. "Because when I remember them, I know I can never have those moments back."

Inhaling a shuddering breath, Sakura hugged herself to Sai. "I enjoy our times with you too, you know. Like the first time I gave you a present for Christmas…" She laughed.

"You got me a red scarf." Sai nodded. "And I told you it was too warm to wear a scarf in Konoha, even during the winter. I still do not understand why you got me that scarf. Or why Naruto got so upset over it."

Sakura's eyes saddened and she wiped her nose with her sleeve. "Yeah…" she looked at the sun, now only a half-circle peeking above the horizon. "Well, it's a Team 7 thing- _was_ a Team 7 thing. When we were genin, Konoha went through an unusually cold winter one year. So Naruto and I decided to buy our team matching red scarves for Christmas. We wore them all winter, even Sasuke and Kakashi."

Sai just nodded, feeling a little less like a mere replacement now. "I see. And when Naruto saw that…"

"He was still a little touchy on the whole 'Sasuke-is-getting-replaced' thing." Sakura finished.

"Ah." Sai murmured.

Sakura smiled at his emotionless answer, and closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth of the dying sun on her face, leaning into Sai again. In her mind's eye, Sakura could see the memories as if they were yesterday: Choji and Naruto having a ramen-eating contest at Ichiraku's, Sasuke and Naruto glaring at each other, Team 7's many failed attempts at stealing Kakashi's porn, her and Ino gossiping about boys after practice, and that one time when Naruto started a village-wide shinobi water-balloon fight.

The memories wrenched her heart out and stomped all over it. Sakura smiled fondly, but soon hid her face in Sai's chest as her body shook. Sai looked down at her curiously.

"Sakura, you are sobbing, but there are no tears in your eyes. How does this work?" he asked her.

The girl in question laughed, albeit a little half-heartedly. "Oh Sai…" she chuckled, wiping her cheeks.

They were quiet for another couple minutes.

"Things will never be the same." Sakura whispered after the long silence. The sun was nearly gone now; the only remnants of the great star were the struggling rays that pierced the purple sky. "I can't ever go back to those carefree days. And that is why I am sad, Sai. I've become… jaded."

Sai stared at Sakura for a long moment before he reached up and pulled the corners of her mouth up. "Cheer up, Sakura. Sad smiles only make you ugly."

Sakura stared at Sai as if he had just sprouted horns and squawking like a chicken. Then a true, bright smile lit her face, and for a moment Sai forgot that the sun had already set. Then she tackled Sai in a bone-crushing hug that left him gasping for air- literally.

"Thank you, Sai." She whispered.


End file.
